UK teenager Patrick Kane just became the first person in the country to be fitted with latest version of Touch Bionics’ i-Limb Ultra- a prosthetic hand so advanced that it can be controlled via a smart phone app. The i-Limb Ultra can assume 24 different grips with the option of gradually increasing the strength of its grasp, and—according to its makers—it is currently the most advanced and anatomically correct artificial limb on the market.

After contracting meningococcal septicaemia-the viral form of meningitis-as a baby, Patrick Kane had lost all of the fingers on his left hand, part of each finger from his right hand and his right leg below the knee. He received his first prosthesis shortly after his first birthday. Last year he was fitted with the latest version of Touch Bionics’ prosthetic hand which is the most advanced prosthetic hand available.

The i-Limb Ultra features electrodes positioned in the wrist which pick up electrical impulses created by contracting muscles and send them to a small computer in the back of the hand. The design comes with an iOS app which enables the wearer to have more control over the motions of the hand.

The artificial hand has a thin layer of semi-transparent skin that has been computer-modeled to follow every contour of the hand and appear as natural as possible. The silicone covering wraps the innovative technology which allows the hand to accurately fit around the shape of the grasped object and increase the grip strength. The hand is so sensitive it can pick up a single sheet of paper.